CARDIOVASCULAR COMPLICATIONS CAUSED BY CHEMOTHERAPY AND TARGETED AGENTS

Abstract

Modern-day drug therapy has significantly increased the life expectancy of patients with breast cancer, therefore now this is the quality if the therapy itself which is of major importance. Cardiac toxicity of some cytostatics may come out in years after the therapy. Anthracycline antibiotics are considered to be the main factor leading to cardiotoxicity. In case of recurrent use of anthracycline antibiotics, the overall dose of these should have to be limited. The combination of anthracyclines with trastuzumab increases essentially the risk of cardiotoxicity. To reduce the risk of developing such severe epiphenomenon it is recommended to use pegylated liposomal forms of anthracyclines, to detect background diseases in due time, as well as to generally take preventive actions.

Keywords

• breast cancer
• life quality
• anthracyclines
• trastuzumab
• congestive heart failure